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September 06, 2005
Katrina Latrina
A few more thoughts on our government's bungling of the worst natural disaster ever to hit our nation:
1) FEMA isn't just useless, they're criminal. It's inconceivable that when New Orleans' mayor is begging for firefighters from other cities because his need a break... and a thousand trained firefighters from elsewhere in the country have volunteered to come help and have in fact left their homes and headed to the disaster zone to do just that... that FEMA would have these firefighters holed up in a hotel in Atlanta, sitting around and being instructed on how to pass out leaflets. But that's what's happening.
Many of the firefighters, assembled from Utah and throughout the United States by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thought they were going to be deployed as emergency workers. Instead, they have learned they are going to be community-relations officers for FEMA, shuffled throughout the Gulf Coast region to disseminate fliers and a phone number: 1-800-621-FEMA.
And if that weren't bad enough, FEMA is actually arrogant enough to defend itself for this latest debacle. "I would go back and ask the firefighter to revisit his commitment to FEMA, to firefighting and to the citizens of this country," said FEMA spokeswoman Mary Hudak.
Ms. Hudak, anyone who's watched the sorry-ass performance of your embarassment of an organization over the last few days would like FEMA to revisit its commitment to the citizens of this country. Your organization forfeited its right to defend itself about a week ago now... so you'd best shut the hell up and get the firefighters who want to help deployed for emergency rescue. And as soon as the citizens of New Orleans are out, you and Michael Brown should be forced to clean the streets of the Big Easy with your tongues.
But worse still is the cynical and disgusting use FEMA did find in Louisiana for some of those firefighters. But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas.
2) New Orleans asks Bush some tough questions. It's hard to believe that anyone could still believe George W. Bush to be immune from criticism, but ridiculously there are still some of the conservative true believers out there still arguing that Bush is above blame for any of what's happened. (Vote Bush... it's easier than thinking.) Those few remaining might want to take a look at this op-ed by the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Not that it will change their dogmatic minds... so I guess I'll just leave it for you to read too.
3) A fair assessment of blame. I've mentioned before that I really hate to have to admit it, but some of the most astute and fair punditry out there right now comes from former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough on MSNBC. Scarborough's not always unbiased -- he's still a hyper-conservative and that often shows through -- but more often than not I have been grudgingly impressed with his analyses of situations and willingness to say what he thinks, not just what the conservative party line tells him he should think. Scarborough can be bad for your blood pressure at times, but overall he's earned my respect as a pundit, and I'll give him credit for what he does.
I think his post on his "blog" at MSNBC.com yesterday is one of the more honest and fair assessments of where blame lies and who deserves criticism for what. He points out that there's plenty to go around, then proceeds to explain exactly where each level of government failed the people -- including some harsh criticism of not just Louisiana's Democratic governor, but Mississippi's Republican governor & the former head of the Republican Party, Haley Barbour. As a former Congressman who helped handle emergency relief in the past, and as a resident of a Gulf Coast area, Scarborough has uniquely been on both sides of hurricane issues... and I think his assessment is worthy of your perusal.
